Beech C90A incident near Raleigh, North Carolina, April 27, 2006
On April 27, 2006 at about 6:25 pm local time, a Beech C90A, registered N90CH, suffered minor damage in an incident near Raleigh, North Carolina (Raleigh-Durham International airport). It was an executive or corporate flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The inadequate manufacturing process, which resulted in a windshield fire and subsequent emergency landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 27, 2006 · about 6:25 pm local time
- Place
- Raleigh, North Carolina · Raleigh-Durham International · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Beech C90A · all C90As on the register
- Registration
- N90CH · registry record · serial LJ-1445
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Executive or corporate flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While in cruise flight at 17,000 feet, the pilot smelled smoke. A few seconds later, flames and smoke started shooting out of the lower left windshield. The pilot turned off the windshield heat, and the flames went out, but the smoke persisted. The pilot declared an emergency with air traffic controllers, diverted, and landed the airplane safely. Examination of the airplane found scorch marks and soot on the left windshield near the terminal block. The damaged windshield was shipped to the manufacturer, PPG Industries, Inc., for further examination. Examination revealed the unit showed a condition similar to other units that were found to have overheated blocks during late 1996 and early 1997. These blocks were subject to a joint investigation by Raytheon Aircraft Company and PPG during 1997. That investigation identified the root cause of the terminal block overheating, relating to the manufacturing process. The manufacturing process was corrected by PPG in August 1996. Raytheon issued Safety Communiqué No. 134, describing the events, part numbers affected, and procedures to perform in case of such an event. These procedures were added to the FAA-approved airplane operating handbook in June 1997. The damaged windshield from this incident was one of the windshields manufactured just before the manufacturing process was corrected.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,960 hours in all; 200 in this make and model; 95 in the last 90 days; 40 in the last 30 days; 2,100 as pilot in command; 270 on instruments
- Last flight review: January 1, 2006
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,678 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, April 1, 2006; 21 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 10,100 lb
- Seats: 8
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Pratt & Whitney PT6A-21 (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Pratt & Whitney PT6A-21 (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Operator: Carolina Air Charter, Inv
The flight
- Departed from: JQF Concord NC at 5:31 pm
- Destination: IAD Washington DC
- Flight plan: IFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 2 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 1,200 ft; a few clouds at 600 ft
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 29.93 inHg
- Observation at 6:51 pm from KRDU
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.